Minister Kim Young-hoon of the Ministry of Employment and Labor noted on the 19th regarding the revisions to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act that "this is not aimed at strengthening regulations on corporations or the unilateral transfer of responsibility to employers."
On that day, Minister Kim spoke at a meeting held at the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, to hear the opinions of small and medium enterprises regarding the amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act, saying, "The amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act are intended to facilitate dialogue in the field by moving away from a break in the vertical structure to a horizontal dialogue and creating a basis for cooperation between primary and subcontractors."
At the meeting, participants from the Ministry of Employment and Labor included Minister Kim, the Director General of Labor Policy, the Director of Labor-Management Cooperation Policy, and the Division Chief of Labor Relations Legislation and Policy. The small and medium enterprise industry was represented by KBIZ Chairman Kim Ki-moon and other executives, as well as representatives from major industry cooperatives.
Minister Kim stated that "the amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act started with the intention of resolving the recurring conflict structure in the field, restoring a predictable negotiation order, and providing practical stability and responsibility to both labor and management."
He added, "The core of this amendment is the alignment of authority and responsibility," and said, "Through this, we will open a path for dialogue, lay the groundwork for mutual growth, and prepare for future growth."
The amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act focus on strengthening the employer's responsibility for primary contractors and limiting damage compensation claims against labor unions. It allows subcontractor unions, which do not have a direct contractual relationship, to demand negotiations with primary contractors, while limiting claims for damages against unions by corporations that suffered losses from union strikes. This is so-called "yellow envelope law."
Economic organizations, including KBIZ, argue that the amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act will result in the "collapse of the primary and subcontracting industrial ecosystem." On the previous day, the six economic organizations, including the Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF), issued a joint statement urging the National Assembly to amend the bill at the National Assembly. They stated, "We urge the National Assembly to thoroughly consider and accept alternatives from the economic community that allow corporations to maintain competitiveness while ensuring workers' labor rights."
Minister Kim said, "I am also acutely aware of the concerns and anxieties in the field" and added, "We will establish a task force to gather the opinions of labor and management, the direct parties to the system, and closely identify and review the issues and concerns raised in the field to specifically reflect them in the manual."
He further stated, "We will clarify negotiation procedures and criteria to alleviate concerns about ambiguity and uncertainty," and noted, "Before the law is implemented, I will directly visit the field to explain and ensure thorough preparation so that confusion does not arise after the law is enacted."